Tribulation

Chapter Six: Resilience

For a moment, as insignificant as the black-haired male before Natsu already was, an instinct took over in a complete rage as the object was spotted.

That’s right- Natsu didn’t even know what it was. He just knew that the moment the dragons collapsed from the sky, he sensed it in a way so unlike anything else that a single thought enveloped him and took over him like a puppet.

That. Is. Mine.

That’s when his body responded with something so primal it reacted faster than even instinct or muscle memory – somehow becoming trigger for something yet to be awakened.

The thought startled Natsu. He no longer understood who he had been before it appeared, the way it managed to influence Natsu in a way only his own mind could. It was no longer foreign, but a welcome part of Natsu that made him who his was, integrated so deeply into his being that he couldn’t even imagine a life without it – without the sense of feeling complete.

Despite this, one thing still troubled him in a way he couldn’t grasp at. He knew his name wasn’t Natsu, it was the product of those whom had tricked and deceived him and had turned him into something human. It was a cruel joke that made fun of his true name, as if the beings whom had changed him had any authority of what he should be called.

However, as demeaning as it was, the name stuck, and no matter how Natsu placed the pieces of the puzzle – naming himself anything other than Natsu triggered the last struggle of forgotten memories.

Funny how he had retained some sense of mortality when he wasn’t even mortal.

As the initial daze of finally seeing the object wore off, Natsu’s body responded to retrieve it at any cost, even though its importance wasn’t known to him. New strength flooded his already overpowered form and he had slashed the claw of the dragon in the timespan of half a blink. In the brief moment of confusion Natsu felt at the emotions this abrupt act of violence against the fire dragon brought, the dragon had responded with speed that perhaps even matched Natsu’s own.

The strike Natsu received didn’t register as anything more than an annoyance with a minimal amount of pain as it sent Natsu flying fast enough, that by the time he was able to regain control of his flailing form he was a fair distance away. The Etherious’ wings snapped to attention and counteracted the backwards force with their own source of power and soon enough Natsu was soaring just back the way he came.

As he made his way back, words of the dragon reverberated throughout his still confused mind, bringing up a flash of even more forgotten memories with it.

“Wake up boy!”

A cord snapped throughout his mind, erupting in something angry and heartbroken, causing the Etherious to scream in a feral rage. Memories flashed, new and old, and suddenly Natsu remembered – just a bit – of the time before the dragon Igneel had destroyed and rebuilt his life on lies.

He was standing before the behemoth of a red-scaled beast as it looked down to the puny form which he adorned then. The bright eyes of the dragon looked sympathetic and almost sorry that he had set out to destroy what looked like just a kid.

E.N.D. was confused. His father, Zeref, had told him to explore the world, inflict fear and become even more powerful - and when the time came – destroy him. But, Zeref had also told him to make friends and to be happy, because the day would come when he would be happy no more.

E.N.D. missed his father. Now he was lost and stuck facing a mighty dragon because of his existence. E.N.D. didn’t understand why he was abandoned. Years had passed since he’d last scene Zeref, but time was insignificant, as years passed in what seemed like hours. He had been alive for decades, perhaps even centuries, but his form refused to grow and he remained feeble and scared.